Managing for Wood Ducks in East Texas - Trinity Waters

IDENTIFICATION
AND RANGE
The wood duck, which belongs to the perching duck tribe, is the only member of
this tribe found in North America. It is closely related to the elaborately colored
mandarin duck of Asia. Like the mandarin, adult male wood ducks have beautiful
plumage. In fact, the scientific name, Aix sponsa, is interpreted from the Latin as
“betrothed duck,” alluding to the extravagance of a bride’s dress in similarity to
male wood duck plumage. As with other North American duck species, the
females and juveniles have generally drab, gray-brown plumages (see Figure 1).
Photo: Kevin J. Kraai
The commonly used
name “wood duck”
denotes its affinity
for trees. Wood ducks
spend most of their
life in or near
forested areas.
It is no surprise that a bird of such extravagant appearance and extensive range
is known to many people, and has been given a variety of colloquial names.
Names such as summer duck, woods, acorn duck, black brancier, gray duck,
plumer, squealer, swamp duck, tree duck, wood widgeon, crested wood duck and
Carolina duck attest to its unique habits, features and haunts. The commonly
used name “wood duck” denotes its affinity for trees. Wood ducks spend most
of their life in or near forested areas. They often perch in trees during the spring
and summer; females use tree cavities as nesting sites; during winter all wood
ducks feed heavily on the mast of bottomland hardwood trees.
Wood ducks are not shy with their vocalizations. If you have approached a
group of feeding wood ducks, you are familiar with the squeals, clucks and
squeaks they make while foraging. At other times different sounds are made by
both the male and female birds. Generally, the male’s calls are softer and less
audible than those of female wood ducks. In fact, the calls of the females have
earned the species the widespread local name of “squealer.”
In comparison to other North American duck species, wood ducks are mid-sized
birds. Adult males weigh slightly more that 1-1/2 pounds, while adult hens
average 1-1/4 pounds. Juveniles weigh about one pound when they reach
flight stage at eight weeks of age. Ducklings one to two weeks old weigh
about six ounces.
In summer (June or July) males molt into drab eclipse plumage and replace the
flight feathers in their wings. In August or September the drake molts from its
eclipse plumage into full winter plumage. Females begin their post-nesting molt
later than males since they must remain active while incubating and brood
rearing. During these summer molts, wood ducks are vulnerable from loss of the
flight feathers. They become secretive because they temporarily are flightless at
this time. Juveniles molt body feathers in their first fall of life. Adult plumage is
perfected during the second spring.
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